Leicestershire Community Support Scheme

Updated 19 May 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 8 and 12 March 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

One inspector carried out the inspection.

We visited the office location on 8 March 2018 to see the management team, office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We also visited three people in their homes. On the 12 March 2018, we made phone calls to relatives of people using the service.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the completed PIR and considered this when we made our judgements.

We checked the information we held about the service including statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted the health and social care commissioners who help place and monitor the care of people living in the home.

During this inspection, we visited three people using the service and spoke with three relatives on the phone. We also spoke with seven staff that included the registered manager, the service manager and five care and support staff. In addition, we had a discussion with an independent advocate.

We reviewed the care records of three people that used the service. These included their care plans, health and medication records, risk assessments and daily care records. We also looked at the recruitment records for four members of staff to see how the provider operated their recruitment procedures. Other records we examined related to the management of the service and included staff rotas, training and supervision records, quality audits and service user feedback, in order to ensure that robust quality monitoring systems were in place.

Updated 19 May 2018

At the last comprehensive inspection on 21 and 25 October 2016, the service was rated Good.

At this announced inspection on 8 and 12 March 2018, we found the service remained 'Good'.

This service provides care and support to people living in two supported living settings so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Leicestershire Community Support Scheme provides personal care to people living in their own homes or shared accommodation when they are unable to manage their own care. They provide support with personal care, food preparation, managing finances and enabling people to undertake activities in the local community. At the time of the inspection there were eight people using the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People and relatives told us that they were supported by very kind, caring and compassionate staff that often went the extra mile to provide them with exceptional care. The staff and the management team were extremely passionate about providing people with support that was based on their individual needs, goals and aspirations. We saw that people were at the centre of their care and goals and achievements were celebrated. Each person was treated as an individual and as a result, their care was tailored to meet their exact needs.

The staff and the management team were always available and listened to people and their relatives, offered them choices and made them feel that they mattered. The service empowered people to have as much control over their lives as possible and to achieve their maximum potential. The staff were passionate about the person-centred approach of the service and it was clear it was run with and for people. Without exception, people spoke positively about their experience of the service and the successes they had been supported to achieve. It was clear the culture within the service valued the uniqueness of all individuals.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff had been provided with safeguarding training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report them. There were risk management plans in place to protect and promote people’s safety. Staffing numbers were appropriate to keep people safe and the registered provider followed thorough recruitment procedures to ensure staff employed were suitable for their role. There were systems in place to ensure people were protected from the spread of infections. People’s medicines were managed safely and in line with best practice guidelines. If any accidents or incidents occurred lessons were learnt and action taken to reduce risk in future.

People’s needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with best practice that met their diverse needs. There were sufficient numbers of staff, with the correct skill mix to support people with their care. Staff received an induction process when they first commenced work at the service and in addition received on-going training to ensure they were able to provide care based on current practice when supporting people.

People received enough to eat and drink and staff gave support when required. People were supported by staff to use and access a wide variety of other services and social care professionals. The staff had a good knowledge of other services available to people and we saw these had been involved with supporting people using the service. People were supported to access health appointments when required to make sure they received continuing healthcare that met their needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Care plans provided staff with detailed information and guidance about people's likes, dislikes, preferences and guidance from any professionals involved in their care. People and their relatives were involved in planning all aspects of their care and support and were able to make changes to how their care was provided. Records were regularly reviewed to ensure care met people's current needs. This helped to provide staff with the information they needed to provide care that was personalised for each individual.

People, relatives and staff knew how to raise concerns and make a complaint if they needed to and there was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise complaints about the service.

The management and leadership within the service had a clear structure and the management team were knowledgeable about people's needs and key issues and challenges within the service. Staff felt supported and valued. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the care provided and to ensure the values; aims and objectives of the service were met. The registered provider was aware of their responsibility to report events that occurred within the service to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and external agencies.